WELTWÄRTS
PROJECT: SOS children’s village Armenia
Ashot Kocharyan
Postal address: 2223 Kotayk, Armenia
Tel: +37410 520996
[email protected]
PARTNER:
HUJ-Voluntary Service of Armenia
Stepan Stepanyan
Koriun 19A, Yerevan, Armenia, 0009
Tel: +37410 522772
Fax: +37410 522772
www.huj.am
[email protected]
MENTOR:
Tatevik Tadevosyan
[email protected]
DURATION: 12 months, start in September
LOCAL COMMUNITY
The SOS Children's Village Kotajk is situated in the village of Kotajk, about 15 km north of
the capital of Yerevan. The plot of land measures about 6 hectares and was donated by the
local authorities. It is perfectly integrated into the public supply system.
Its construction was done in 1990, Kindergarten was added a year later and the Village in
Kotayk officially opened in 1998.
The SOS Children's Village Kotajk consists of 12 family houses, a SOS kindergarten, a
Village Director's house, accommodation for the aunts, a Community House, offices and staff
quarters.
The charity fund is organizing a
long term care of children-orphans
with the help of “SOS mother”. The
aim of the “SOS mother” is making
a real family, bringing up and
taking care of children, becoming
mother for children for many years,
making a real hearth. Each mother
has maximum 7 children-orphans
and they live all together in a separate cottage. Here in the village children found their new
mothers, brothers and sisters.
There’s a SOS kindergarten situated on the territory of the SOS village. The kindergarten is
an integrational one, where there are 15 children who live in the SOS village and 8-9 children
coming from nearby regions, where there are no kindergartens. This integration with village
children gives SOS children a possibility and teaches them to make friends with children out
of the SOS village. The kindergarten uses the step-by-step method, which means that the
main aim is centralized on child’s interests.
There are 3 Youth Facilities in Yerevan since 2001, where children move after the SOS
village after finishing school, when the period for them to choose their way, their profession
comes. Here the life conditions are worse than in the SOS village and it’s done on purpose
them to begin to get used to real everyday life by their own, they are becoming a personality.
The teenagers are provided with monthly allowance that they use on food, clothes and things
of first necessity. There is no pressure on children, they do whatever they want and they
choose themselves what to do and how to live.
OBJECTIVES AND MOTIVATION
The main aim of the project is to work with children, to educate and train them. The volunteer
will be involved in all programs and will be encouraged to propose his/her own ideas and
suggestions. The volunteer will live and work with the local community. Apart from working
with the children, he/she will have the possibility to spend his/her free time with them and to
learn a lot about Armenia. The volunteer will be involved in discussions and seminars about
the future of the children and will be able to share his/her opinion on the situation. It's
preferable the volunteer to have concrete interest, for example, in drawing, dancing,
handicrafts, music, teaching skills to be able to organize teaching and playing groups. The
volunteer must follow the methods used in the village and kindergarten and play, work with
children according to their private interests without making them do the things that he/she
wants. Different educational games will be organized as well as physical training. The
children can hear another language and learn about the volunteer's culture which will be a
great learning opportunity for them. By the end of this project a big exhibition of art works
done by the children will be organized. There can also be organized a performance on
different interesting topics. Apart from working with the children, he/she will have the
possibility to spend his/her free time with them and to learn a lot about Armenia. The
volunteer will be involved in discussions and seminars about the future of the children and
will be able to share his/her opinion on the situation. With the help of the volunteer they will
be able to organize more workshops, in which the children according to their health can
draw, sculpture, sing and dance. The volunteer will have activities in SOS National Office in
Yerevan, SOS Village in Kotayk, 3 Youth facilities in Yerevan and will be having trips to
village "Family Centers".
VOLUNTEER TASKS
The volunteer will have the opportunity to
participate in all arts workshops and to
support the staff in organizing these
activities (painting, sculpturing,
handicrafts, etc.)

He/she will establish social
contact with individual children
and their SOS mothers by chats
and games.

He/she will present his/her country and culture to the children

Maintenance of "Smile house" in the Village, organization of recreational activities for
the children

playing with the children

social activities, group games etc.

excursions and outdoor activities

the volunteer will have the task to help organizing a big exhibition of the art works of
the children on different topics

organizing sport activities in the territory of the village

Trips to village “Family Centers”- to have discussions with parents who are going to
abandon their children, making social projects for them.
WORKING HOURS:
The volunteer will work 5 days per week (approx. 30 hours) and will have weekends off.
ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD:
During their voluntary service the volunteer will live in a dormitory with other volunteers,
probably sharing the room with a fellow volunteer. All facilities will be provided, he/she will be
provided with a bed, sheets and linen. The volunteer will receive a certain amount of money
for food. The volunteers will be able to decide themselves what, when and where to eat.
There are a lot of shops, food stands, cafes and restaurants avail-able all over the city.
LANGUAGE TRAINING:
The Volunteer will learn Armenian language by attending Armenian language courses. The
lessons will be provided by an English speaking teacher 2 times per week during the entire
project.
TRAINING AND SUPPORT:
Specialists and psychologists will provide training and support for the work with children.
Volunteers will be invited to take part in training programs. HUJ as host coordinating
organization will provide on-going support and invite the volunteer to some of their activities
and meetings with other volunteers.